Philippians

Composition

Philippians, also called letter of Paul to the Philippians, is a book in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is one of the many letters, or epistles, in the New Testament. While Paul wrote these letters to specific people or churches, early Christians included them in the Bible because they offer broader messages about Christ and Christianity.

Philippians was written by Saint Paul the apostle. A Jewish leader who persecuted the Church before becoming a Christian around 33 CE, Paul was one of the most important and influential figures in early Christianity. Traditionally, Paul was credited with writing thirteen of the epistles in the New Testament. However, modern scholars have called into question the authorship of six of those letters. Seven of the letters are called the “undisputed” letters because nearly all biblical scholars agree that Paul wrote them. Philippians is one of the undisputed letters.

Paul, known as Saul of Tartus before his conversion, wrote Philippians to the church in Philippi, in northeastern Greece. Philippi was an important city in the Roman empire, and Paul established the church there in 49 or 50 CE. It was the first Christian church in Europe. Many of Paul’s experiences in Philippi were recorded in the New Testament Book of Acts. The book states that Paul was imprisoned in the city but converted numerous people there. Paul left the city after founding the church, though he returned at least once during another missionary trip.

Paul indicates in his letter that he is writing the letter while imprisoned. However, Paul was imprisoned in numerous cities during his missionary trips because of his proselytizing, so scholars are unsure where and when he wrote the letter. Many scholars suggest that Paul wrote his letter to the church in Philippi between 57 and 64 CE while imprisoned in Rome or Ephesus, a city in Asia Minor. However, some scholars also suggest that he could have written from Caesarea or Corinth.

Paul, who personally knows members of the Philippian church, wrote to them to warn them that they might soon be executed, though he hopes to be freed and visit them again. He also writes the letter to warn them against accepting false teachings and to thank them for the financial support they have given him. Some scholars believe that the letter to the Philippians is actually made up of multiple communications, which would explain some sudden changes in the topic of the text.

Summary

Philippians, a letter, opens with a greeting, as do all of Paul’s other New Testament letters. Paul introduces himself and Timothy as “slaves of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1.1). Scholars believe that Timothy might have been a scribe or a coauthor of the letter. Paul then addresses his audience “all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and ministers” (Phil. 1.1).

As with many of his other letters, Paul continues with a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking God for the congregation at Philippi and their faithfulness. In his prayer, he indicates that he believes the congregation will continue its faithfulness and good work until Jesus Christ returns. Paul often referenced Christ’s return in some of his earlier epistles. He also expresses his wish to be with the Philippians.

Paul then discusses his imprisonment but notes that his being in prison has helped spread the word of the gospel. He considers the possibility that he will be executed but explains that he accepts his fate whether he lives or dies, saying, “My eager expectation and hope is that . . . Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death” (Phil. 1.20).

He encourages his audience to remain strong in their faith in Jesus Christ and asks them to conduct themselves “in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Phil. 1.27). In the next few sections, Paul explains how he believes people of faith should act. First, he encourages the Philippians to value unity and avoid being selfish. Paul also tells them that they should be humble, just as Jesus humbled himself by becoming human and allowing himself to die. He encourages them to be obedient to and do good work for God without complaint.

In the next part of his letter, Paul gives updates on his plans and hopes for the future. He explains that he would like to send Timothy (who was included in the greeting of the letter) to the Philippians. He also expresses his hope that the Philippians will welcome Timothy. He also expresses his desire to be able to also visit the Philippians. Paul also updates the Philippians on the status of Epaphroditus, a member of the Philippian congregation who came to Paul to bring a financial donation for him. Paul states that Epaphroditus was very ill but recovered and wants to return to Philippi.

In chapter 3, Paul switches topics abruptly, which has caused some scholars to believe that the letter might be a compilation of multiple correspondences. In this part of the letter, he exhorts the Philippians to remain strong in their faith and not to be influenced by false teachers and false messages. He indicates that he and the Philippians should continue to work toward knowing and understanding Jesus and their faith and warns them that they should not focus on worldly things. He also gives advice about a specific problem among members of the church in Philippi.

Later in chapter 4, Paul gives the congregation a receipt letting them know that he has received their gift of financial support delivered to him by Epaphroditus. He thanks them and acknowledges their generosity. Paul then explains how he has learned to be happy with whatever he has in life, whether it is little or much. He then says that through God, Christians can do all things, including accepting what they have in life. Paul’s faith helps him accept all that has happened in his life. Paul then concludes his letter with greetings from other Christians he knows.

Themes

Philippians has multiple themes that Paul also develops in other letters. It is well known for helping scholars better understand Paul’s theology. It is also well known for being a document in which Paul expresses his personal feelings, which allows scholars to understand how he felt while imprisoned.

Paul begins his letter by labeling himself and Timothy as “slaves” of Jesus Christ. Scholars have noted that Paul changes how he labels himself at the beginning of his letters depending on how he wants to present himself to his audience. For example, in his letter to the church in Philippi, he stresses that he is a faithful servant of God’s—just as the congregation’s people are faithful servants. Paul similarly refers to himself as a slave of Jesus in the greeting of his letter to the Romans. In many of his letters, he uses the term “apostle” to describe himself in the greeting. Scholars believe that he used apostle when he wanted to stress his apostolic authority, such as in 2 Corinthians, where he defends his apostolic authority at length in the body of the letter.

Paul’s use of the world slave in the greeting also relates to the themes of hardships, duty, and service that are found in other parts of the letter. Paul describes his own imprisonment and indicates that he is happy to live or die if it serves God’s plan. Paul also focuses on what he believes are Christian duties, such as acting united and showing forgiveness. In the second chapter, he tells the Philippians to stay united and to “[d]o nothing out of selfishness” (Phil 2. 3). Paul also tells the members of the congregation that they should be humble and supports his idea by using Jesus Christ as the ultimate example of humility. In Chapter 3, he states, “I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish” (Phil. 3.8), though scholars believe he is referring to losing his old faith, which his new Christianity replaced.

Bibliography

Barth, Karl and Francis Watson. The Epistle to the Philippians. Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 2002.

The Bible. New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE). Oxford University Press, 2011.

Brown, Jeannine K. Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary. InterVarsity Press, 2022.

Gupta, Nijay K. Reading Philippians: A Theological Introduction. Cascade Books, 2020.

Melick, Richard R. Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Broadman Press, 1991.

Motyer, J. Alec. The Message of Philippians. InterVarsity Press, 2020.

“Philippians.” Insight for Living Ministries, insight.org/resources/bible/the-pauline-epistles/philippians. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.

“Philippians.” USCCB, 2022, bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/0. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.